A Spluttering Doctor Is a Rare One Indeed
by A-BondofFlame-R
Summary: Only Jack can get the Doctor this worked up. Crying, anger, and spluttering, all in one afternoon.  Jack/10.


Hey there, this is my first Who fic, so if they're a bit off character, please just helpful comments? Plus I've got too weak a stomach to actually watch Torchwood, so my understanding of Jack is very basic. Otherwise, enjoy! :D

The Doctor stormed into the interior of the Tardis, an irritated expression on his sharp features. He ran a hand through his chestnut hair and focused on ignoring his temporary companion. Breathing out a sigh of frustration, he bent down to his knees to inspect his home ship like box. The quiet click of the door registered in his ears, but he tried to ignore it. Of course he knew that this companion was trying be forgiven by showing his rare good behavior, but he quite honestly wasn't mad at the man. He was simply mad at himself.

He was a bloody Time-lord, confound it all. After centuries of living and existing, he should know better by now. He should know how to control his emotions. But alas, the humans did say that there was a route from the heart to the brain that didn't go through logic, and he just happened to have two hearts. The Doctor's brows furrowed themselves downward on his face as he shoved those thoughts away and refocused himself on inspecting the Tardis. But no, his companion just couldn't leave the silence.

"Hey Doc, about that, I'm-" The Doctor cut him off with an irritated exhale.

"Jack, I get it. You're sorry, I know. I'm just tired of having to rescue your sorry excuse for an immortal every time I turn around," he vented, mustering up some of his confused emotions and channeling them into anger. Across the control room, Jack huffed and put a hand on hip.

"Well that last one really wasn't fair. I didn't know that if you kissed someone there before marrying them it meant death..." The Captain brushed his free hand sheepishly against his neck, and the Doctor couldn't help but smile, although sadly. He knew Jack's playful and carefree nature was enlightening, but his tendency to be attracted to anything living was a discouraging fact. The brunette man pulled himself off of the floor and turned toward Jack and crossed his arms over his chest, the smile still there but with more of a fake cheer.

"Alright Jack, I forgive you. You can't help your own libido, can y-" his voice cut off as soon as the weight of his friend hit him. Jack embraced him, his arms crossing each other at the small of his back. The Doctor, stunned, said nothing and stood stock still. He was hallucinating. He had to be.

"Doctor, I...I just lied to you. I wasn't about to die because I kissed some guy," he confessed, confusing the Doctor more. Before he could ask, Jack pulled back and looked up at him with his steely blue eyes and smiled, breathing out.

"It's alright Doctor, I know." A brunette brow rose in shock, with maybe a bit of confusion mixed in there. How could he know? They hadn't spoken of feelings, or preferences, or...

Wait. Jack was still talking.

"-updates on you. Seriously, every human in existence knows how to contact me with information on you." Jack had walked away and was pressing buttons on his little wrist device, probably syncing it with the Tardis. The Doctor blinked, shaking his head and following after him.

"Whoa whoa, wait a second you! What do you mean that you have updates? What do you know?" he inquired, his pitch rising as he spoke. Having Jack know things about him that he didn't know about wasn't ever good. The sound of Jack's hearty laugh filled the space between them as Jack responded.

"Calm down Doc, I haven't found any sex tapes or anything, though that would be welcome information..." he trailed off, his eyebrow raised mock seductively. The Doctor fought down a rising flush and stared him down for the knowledge he wanted. Seeing that his teasing got him nowhere, the dark haired man sighed and continued in a more serious tone.

"I'm sorry about Donna. I can't imagine how hard that must've been for you, and I'm sorry I couldn't help you," he whispered, quiet though there was no one else around. Then...

Something happened. Maybe it was Jack's tone that set it off, or the meaning behind the words, or maybe it was just all those damn years of trying to fight his feelings. Regardless, something inside the Doctor snapped.

He turned around, facing away from Jack. There was a maniacal gleam in his chocolate brown eyes as he laughed darkly. Behind him, Jack blinked in wonder. The captain reached out and placed his hand on the older man's shoulder.

"Hey, I'm-" Suddenly the Doctor whipped around and glared insanely up at him, a barking cackle escaping his lips.

"No, no Jack. You couldn't imagine how hard losing Donna was to me?" The Doctor paused his speech with a harsh laugh. "That isn't the least of my problems, buddy boy," he snapped, stalking off toward the opposite side of the Tardis, his cloak billowing behind him. Jack's face twitched in different directions, trying to figure out what he did or what to say before he took off after the Doctor. The older man starting fiddling with the Tardis again, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and scanning anything in sight.

"Imagine Jack, imagine this then. Pretend, that you aren't attracted to everything under any sun. Now, pretend that you're centuries old, and that everyone you've ever loved has died. Except one. One person, the one that you can never be with. Even though it makes perfect, utterly reasonable sense, you can't be with them, and you won't ever have the satisfaction of knowing they're dead and it's over, that you lost the chance to even try. Try that Jack. Try it, and then tell me you're sorry!" he spat, shaking as he fought back sobs.

Then, it all clicked in Jack's head.

Every time he needed saving, the Doctor was there.

Every time he risked his life, even though he knew he'd come back, the Doctor got all flustered and angry at him.

Every time Jack found a new 'partner', the Doctor got a little bit moody.

Every time Jack thought he was okay with Rose or whatever girl he had, he was wrong.

Jack chuckled quietly to himself, bending down and resting on his haunches next to the brunette. He put a soothing hand on the time-lord's back, rubbing up and down in a comforting motion.

"Doctor, I want to tell you something. I asked that tribe to do that to me on purpose." The Doctor's head snapped toward him, and outraged look on his face.

"You did what?" Jack winced at the volume, he was only a few inches away from the man and that was a loud yell. Maybe this wasn't the best approach. The Doctor rose up from his squatting position, towering over Jack as he prepared for a rant. In turn, Jack leapt off the ground and raised his hands in defense.

"Hey, hey, you didn't let me explain myself-" The Doctor cut him off yet again, his face steadily coloring to an angry shade of scarlet as he screamed.

"You want me to let you waste my time by explaining that you are a dirty rat who purposely put yourself in danger, just so I would come get you? Think again, you sodding piece of-"

"Doctor, Doctor! That's not what I-"

"Of COURSE, it wasn't Jack, you just wanted to waste my time right? Since I have all of the time in the world! Stupid, stupid bloody wan-" At this point, Jack had had enough. He sighed and threw himself at the Doctor, slamming the smaller body into a wall panel of the Tardis. The ebony haired man secured the brunette with one hand and covered his mouth with the other. As the Doctor squirmed beneath him, thrashing and yelling muffled against his hand, Jack took his opportunity to speak.

"Doctor, listen to me. I have been through an entire human life while you've been gone. And I was lonely. Because I did, in fact, feel like you. I got into a rut, and I felt so alone that I abandoned my hope on people. So I lived until the humans configured a world transporter, and I sent myself to a planet I knew had religious rituals. I came, and I asked for them to perform a ritual on me, one that only let's a specific person save them." Under him, the Doctor froze in place and gasped against his hand.

"I wanted to see if...if I had anyone. If I didn't have anyone, I'd indefinitely die, but if no one saved me I'd have wanted to die, Doctor. Do you understand?" he breathed, hoping that the Doctor actually listened. The mop of brown hair nodded, and Jack slowly released his prisoner and stepped back. As the Doctor slowly rotated toward him, Jack braced himself. He didn't know what to expect.

"Jack...,'" the Doctor started out, his voice shaky with the possibility of tears," what ritual did you have done to you?" In his mind, the younger man crossed his fingers and just came out with it.

"I asked them to perform their ritual, the "Riktig förälskelse är den enda räddaren", on me Doctor. And you came for me," Jack confessed, his voice cracking with joyful tears. The hot drops rolled down his face, spurring on the Doctor's restrained tears as well.

"You came for me, Doctor. You came," he repeated, his vision swimming. He vaguely saw the brunette mass come toward him cautiously.

"Jack," he began, his voice fraught with his raw emotions, "did...did you want me to be the one that came?" Jack sniffled a bit, trying to clear way for his voice as he nodded.

"It was always you, Doctor." Jack's lips pulled up in what looked to be a smile, and the Doctor closed the distance between their bodies, finally returning Jack's earlier hug. He felt Jack's body tremble with sobs as the other man wrapped his arms around him again, and the Doctor's instincts took over.

He raised one slender hand to Jack's soft black hair and ran the hand through it, while also trying to not cry into it. Together, they stood inside the Tardis, and they let years of their repression out. When it was over, the Doctor pulled back and stared into Jack's red rimmed, yet still beautiful, eyes.

"Jack..." the Doctor paused and tried to find the words, but after Jack chuckled at the silence and obvious futile effort, he gave up and just pressed his lips to his companion's forehead, a perfectly silent gesture.

"Doctor, if you really think about it...this was really the only thing that ever could happen," mused Jack relaxing in the Doctor's embrace. The latter, in turn, hummed in question.

"We'll almost never die...and we're the only two that never will," explained Jack. The Doctor laughed quietly to himself, thinking about how his heart had told him that for years, and now Jack was saying it.

"Well, someone's got a little bit of girl in him after all," he teased, earning a light punch in the arm. "But you're right. And I'm glad for it, Jack. I'm so glad," he laughed, finally content with himself.

"Me too, Doctor. Me too. Now I can finally kiss you without having to have the excuse of thinking I was going to die, yeah?" Jack smiled seductively up at him, and the Doctor spluttered in surprise. Chortling to himself, Jack stealthily took his opening and pressed their lips together. The Doctor definitely stopped spluttering.


End file.
